Kitchen cupboard favs! Apple Cider Vinegar for lucious skin!

So I'm back with another kitchen cupboard favourite and this time it's the wonderful apple cider vinegar! I've been loving ACV and cannot do without it now. It's become a staple step in my routine. I've found that it's helped to diminish those pesky bumpy white heads (not pustules) that are so hard to shift as well as prevent breakouts.  The natural acids help to keep pores unblocked resulting in smoother, clearer skin. Some people claim that it helps them with hyperpigmentation but I didn't see any results in that department unfortunately. Check out the video above or click here to see my full review. Have you tried ACV on your skin? If so, how did you find it?

How I got rid of my severe cystic acne

Cute thumbnail eh?! Haha, anyway as the title suggests this video is about how I managed to get rid of my severe cystic acne. I've always had acne prone skin ever since I hit puberty and I went through stages where it would get better and worse, then better then worse... but at one stage it got reaaally bad. It got to a point where it was even painful to simply touch my face. Thankfully I managed to find a solution! Watch the video above or click here to see what I did to get rid of my acne once and for all! Keep strong acne sufferers, there's a solution out there it just has to be the right one for you.

My top tips:

Be patient when trying a new routine; acne cures usually do not work quickly. You need to give whatever you're trying a good test out before you conclude that it does not work for you.

Try not to squeeze really bad lesions like cysts/nodules. They're more likely to leave scarring if you do. I do have to admit I could NEVER leave any lesion alone! If it looked like it could be squeezed allowing me to get the 'core' out for it to hurry up and heal over I would get popping ASAP, and those nasty popped cysts are actually what caused any scarring on my skin. 

If you really want to squeeze a spot then make sure you do it properly! It has to be ready to be squeezed or your failed attempts will just worsen the flareup. The squeezing has to be done in a certain way so as not to aggravate the lesion or push the bad stuff deeper into the blocked pore. There are plenty of videos on YouTube demonstrating how to to do extractions correctly, definitely take a look if you need to brush up on your technique!

To help improve the appearance of scarring stay true to a good and consistent skin care routine that includes regular exfoliation. If you feel exfoliants with granules are too harsh for you opt for gentle exfoliants such as the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant or natural exfoliants rich in AHAs/BHAs such as lemons, strawberries, milk, apple cider vinegar and so on.  

As I mention in the video, I recommend calamine lotion and aloe vera for highly irritated skin. They definitely helped to calm my skin down at times when it got really uncomfortable.

If you suffer from acne and haven't found a solution yet I hope this video helps! However if you have suffered from acne and have found a solution do let us know what that is in the comments!

Make-Up Haul: Bobbi Brown, Bourjois, MAC & Maybelline

Believe it or not this haul includes my first ever MAC lipsticks! Yep, up until not that long ago I was a MAC virgin. Before getting to know the beauty blogging world and beauty community on YouTube, I had never tried any MAC make-up at all. I have to admit I hardly even used that much make-up. I only ever used foundation, some clear mascara and a bit of blush or bronzer! I'd probably still be rocking that routine had I never stumbled across the marvels of the online beauty world! Nowadays there can never be enough on my make-up wish list, haha. Anyway, let's get to it..

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner Set

This was a great deal I could not ignore! I already had the black gel eyeliner but it some how vanished in my house. I was so annoyed as other than the fact that it is quite expensive(!) this gel eyeliner really is amazing! So this was on my 'to-get-list' for a while. It is quite pricy but it's so good I'm willing to part with the cash for it. Now I came across this set while I was on an international flight and unfortunately it is unavailable elsewhere, not even in the duty free shops! It costs around $40 which is a steal considering each eyeliner pot alone retails for £17! I can't praise this gel eyeliner enough, it stays put right up until the moment you take it off not matter how long it's been on.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

I had been really itching to try this foundation after hearing only good things about it everywhere. It took me some time to find shade 56, which I believe is the darkest shade, but unfortunately it doesn't work that well for me as it is quite pinkish. I'm really interested to see if I can make the shade work better for me by setting the foundation with something like the Ben Nye Banana Powder. For now I've been mixing it with my Maybelline Pure Liquid Mineral Foundation.

MAC lipsticks in Jubilee and Hot Tahiti

I initially had my eye on Blankety for a nude shade for quite some time but when I when I went to buy it and tried it on I felt it did not work for me at all, I thought it looked quite terrible on me compared to how lovely I thought it looked on everyone I had seen wearing it on blogs and YT! So, I chose Jubilee instead. It was a lucky find as someone asked for it while I was trying to find something to get in Blankety's place. I love it! It looks dark but it doesn't appear like that on the lips. One of my favourite nudes at the mo! Bear in mind that it may be a bit dark for lighter skin tones.

I also wanted a red lippie, the sales lady suggested Hot Tahiti and I'm so glad as I love it too! It's a gorgeous tropical but muted dark red tone, it's name is just perfect for it! Because it's a glaze lipstick it glides on to give a subtle sheer finish. Don't let this make you think the colour doesn't show that much on the lips though, the finish is sheer but still well pigmented.

Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder 

From the first time I saw the Maybelline Fit Me line ad on TV it looked so inviting I wanted to try the foundation as soon as I could get my hands on it! But all the reviews I had seen for it did not have that many good things to say about it particularly for oily skin types. The pressed powder on the other hand had quite a few favourable reviews so I thought I'd give it a try. I have to say I am glad I bought it, it's a great pressed powder. I've only used it to set foundation as it gives very sheer coverage. I only ever really used my trusty Corn Silk translucent loose powder to set foundation but my Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder has become a close favourite. It gives a very natural finish to the skin, not at all powdery. I got it in the shade 315.

Well that's the lot, hope you enjoyed this little haul! Have you tried any of the mentioned products? If so what did you think? Hope the new year has been treating you well, see you in the next post! x 

Review: No7 Stay Perfect Foundation

Let me start off the post by wishing everyone a very happy New Year! May we all achieve all our goals and aspirations and may this year be full of love, peace, happiness and success for us all!

I've had No7 Stay Perfect Foundation for quite a few months now and have been thoroughly enjoying it. It gives light to medium coverage and leaves a lovely natural finish to the skin. I have to say it's one of my go-to foundations at the moment! Wish I had a better thumbnail for my video rather than the not-too-impressed expression I had to settle with! Haha, check out my full review above or here.